What Does Ginger Tea Do for You?

by Judy Wilson

When making ginger tea, you can start with raw, fresh ginger from your supermarket's produce section.

Many people associate ginger with holiday dishes, pumpkin pie spice, Asian cooking and potpourri, but this simple root is surprisingly beneficial to the body in various ways. Aside from its helpfulness in the realm of health, it also provides a pleasing, spicy taste as it adds a sense of warmth to the body. Next time you’re looking for something different from the standard teas you’ve sipped, try some ginger tea to find out just how much it can do for you.

Digestion and Morning Sickness

Ginger ale is a go-to drink for many people’s digestive upsets, but ginger tea is a healthier option that can be just as effective. It’s a simple yet soothing home remedy for nausea and other digestive symptoms, such as when your digestive system just feels unsettled. It is also a well-known treatment for the morning sickness that so often accompanies pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. Taking very small sips frequently can be more palatable to someone with nausea than trying to drink a large mug of ginger tea too quickly. Even if you don’t have digestive symptoms, drinking ginger tea along with or after a meal can help you digest more efficiently.

Adrenal Glands

When the endocrine system’s adrenals glands get fatigued as a result of long-term stress, ginger can help heal them. Among its many benefits for the adrenals, ginger tea balances cortisol stress hormone levels, brings blood pressure back to normal, increases the body’s metabolic rate and ups a person’s energy, according to James L. Wilson, ND, DC, PhD, in his book Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome.

Ingredients

You have a couple options when making ginger tea. You can either use fresh, raw ginger, which most supermarkets’ produce sections sell. Cut off a small piece of ginger, then place a teaspoon of peeled, minced ginger into a tea cup or mug. Alternatively, you can buy a package of ginger tea bags at a grocery store or health food store.

Instructions

Boil water, then pour it into your cup over the fresh, raw minced ginger or the ginger tea bag. Steep for 5 minutes, or longer if you want a stronger, hotter flavor. For a touch of sweetness, stir in a bit of raw local honey or stevia. As a variation, try mixing some fresh peppermint leaves with the ginger. This combination proves flavorful, and peppermint nurtures the digestion system and symptoms like nausea. Freshly squeezed lemon juice in ginger tea adds a refreshing touch. Experiment with drinking ginger tea iced or room temperature, rather than hot. Iced ginger tea can be as easy as adding several ice cubes to tea after you’ve steeped it. Add a little raw honey for a homemade simulation of ginger ale.

Considerations

If you buy fresh ginger from the store’s produce section, it will stay fresh in your refrigerator for about a week or possibly longer. If you don’t plan to use it up that quickly, you can freeze it, and cut off a small piece each time you want to use some.

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About the Author

Judy Wilson has writing and editing expertise in health, technology, pets, business and travel. She has contributed to USAToday.com, SFGate.com and numerous other publications. Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she completed Mini Medical School.

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